Cornus plant named ‘CORHEESFT’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Cornus kousa plant named ‘CORHEESFT’ which is characterized by a broad spreading to broad-upright growth habit with a globular profile, uniquely variegated juvenile foliage, dark green and relatively large mature foliage, as well as the stability of these characteristics from generation to generation.

Latin name of the genus and species: The Latin name of the genus and species of the novel variety disclosed herein is Cornus kousa.

Variety denomination: The inventive variety of Cornus disclosed herein has been given the variety denomination ‘CORHEESFT’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Parentage: ‘CORHEESFT’ is a seedling selection which resulted from the controlled pollination of an unnamed Cornus kousa plant (not patented), the seed parent, with a second unnamed Cornus kousa plant (not patented), the pollen parent. Said cross was performed by the inventor at a commercial greenhouse in Aalters, Belgium in the year 2003. After approximately two years of evaluating the seedlings that resulted from said cross, one plant was discovered in 2005 which exhibited uniquely-colored juvenile foliage.

Asexual Reproduction: Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘CORHEESFT’, by way of grafting, was first initiated in 2015 in Aalters, Belgium. Through four subsequent generations, the unique features of this cultivar have proven to be stable and true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘CORHEESFT’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘CORHEESFT’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘CORHEESFT’ as a new and distinct Cornus cultivar:

-   -   1. Cornus ‘CORHEESFT’ exhibits a broad spreading to         broad-upright growth habit with a globular profile; and     -   2. Cornus ‘CORHEESFT’ exhibits uniquely variegated juvenile         foliage and dark green, relatively large mature foliage; and     -   3. Cornus ‘CORHEESFT’ exhibits juvenile foliage with a pale         yellow-white adaxial surface that is heavily suffused with a         mixture of orange-red and red near the base, lightly suffused         with yellow-green elsewhere, and marbled, blotched, and margined         with a mixture of white, green-white, and yellow-green; and     -   4. Cornus ‘CORHEESFT’ exhibits juvenile foliage with a white         abaxial surface that is suffused with red near the base and         marbled, blotched, and margined with a mixture of white,         green-white and greyed-green.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color photographs of this type, an exemplary 12-month-old ‘CORHEESFT’ plant in a 13 cm nursery pot, grown in a greenhouse in Aalters, Belgium.

FIG. 2 illustrates, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color photographs of this type, the juvenile foliage of ‘CORHEESFT’.

FIG. 3 illustrates, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color photographs of this type, the mature foliage of ‘CORHEESFT’.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following observations and measurements were made in August of 2022 and describes 24-month-old ‘CORHEESFT’ plants grown in a 24 cm nursery pot and produced in both an unheated greenhouse and grown outdoors in Aalters, Belgium. Plants were grown using conventional production protocols for Cornus which consisted of growing in full sun exposure with regular overhead irrigation and slow-release fertilizer applications as needed. No pest or disease control measures were otherwise utilized in production. No photoperiodic treatments or artificial light was given to the plants.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristics will vary with older or, conversely, with younger plants. ‘CORHEESFT’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. Where dimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics are approximations or averages set forth as accurately as practicable. The phenotype of the variety may differ from the descriptions set forth herein with variations in environmental, climactic and cultural conditions. Color notations are based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, The Royal Horticultural Society, London, 2015 (sixth edition).

A botanical description of ‘CORHEESFT’ and comparisons with the parents and most similar commercial variety of Cornus are provided below.

-   Plant description:     -   -   Growth habit.—Deciduous shrub with a broad-upright to             spreading-upright growth habit.         -   Plant profile.—Globular.         -   Average height from base to top of foliage.—132 cm.         -   Average width.—86.0 cm.         -   Growth rate.—Moderately fast growing.         -   Plant vigor.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Propagation details.—Asexual propagation is accomplished by             grafting a scion onto rootstock.         -   Time to produce a marketable plant.—Approximately 2 years             are required to produce a marketable 3-liter nursery             container.         -   Disease and pest resistance or susceptibility.—Plants have             not been observed to be susceptible or resistant to             pathogens and pests common to Cornus kousa.         -   Environmental tolerances.—Adapt to at least USDA Zones 6 and             10; moderate tolerance to rain; moderate tolerance to wind;             low tolerance to drought. -   Root system:     -   -   Density.—Moderately dense.         -   Distribution in the soil profile.—Roots are relatively             shallow.         -   Texture.—Fleshy; no root hairs present. -   Stem:     -   -   Branching habit.—Basally branching main stem; freely             branching with lateral branches.         -   Number of main stems per plant.—3.         -   Number of lateral branches per plant.—22.         -   Aspect.—Rounded.         -   Length of main stems.—61.0 cm.         -   Diameter of main stems.—0.8 cm at the widest point.         -   Internode length on main stems.—9.0 cm.         -   Attitude.—Upright; between 25 and 40 degrees from vertical.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Glabrous; lenticels are present on mature stems,             mature lateral branches, and oldest wood. Lenticels on the             mature stems and branches predominantly occur at and near             the axils and are linear in shape; approximately 0.5 mm wide             and varying in length. Lenticels on the oldest wood are             orbicular, 0.5 mm in diameter.         -   Luster.—Matte.         -   Color, juvenile.—Red, nearest to RHS 48C; progressively             suffused with a combination of a darker shade of red and             greyed-red, nearest to RHS 53B, 52B, and 182A, as stems             mature.         -   Color, mature.—Nearest to a mixture of greyed-orange and             grey-brown, RHS 177B and N199C; lenticels are colored             greyed-brown, nearest to a combination of RHS 199B and 199C.         -   Color, internodes.—Nearest to a mixture of greyed-orange and             grey-brown, RHS 177B and N199C; lenticels are colored             greyed-brown, nearest to a combination of RHS 199B and 199C.         -   Color, oldest wood.—Greyed-brown, nearest to RHS 199A;             densely covered with orbicular lenticels which are colored             greyed-brown, nearest to RHS 199A. -   Foliage:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Division.—Simple.         -   Attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Quantity.—Average of 14 leaves per lateral branch.         -   Lamina.—Dimensions — 14.7 cm long and 7.6 cm wide, on             average. Shape — Ovate to near elliptic. Aspect — Slightly             carinate and moderately curled downward; apex is slightly             spiraled and curled. Apex — Apiculate. Base — Obtuse to long             attenuate. Margin — Entire; moderately to strong undulated.             Pubescence, texture and luster of adaxial surface —             Pubescent, smooth, and slightly to moderately glossy;             sparsely covered with very short, adpress hairs with an             average length of 0.2 mm and colored white, nearest to RHS             RHS 155D. Pubescence, texture and luster of abaxial surface             — Pubescent, smooth, and matte; sparsely covered with very             short, adpress hairs with an average length of 0.2 mm and             colored white, nearest to RHS 155D. Color — Juvenile             foliage, adaxial surface — Proximal one-third portion of the             laminar surface is yellow-white, nearest to RHS 158D, and             heavily suffused with a mixture of orange-red and red, RHS             35B and 37A; distal two-thirds portion of the laminar             surface is yellow-white, nearest to RHS 158D, and suffused             with yellow-green, nearest to a mixture of RHS 144A and             144B; sparsely to moderately blotched, marbled and margined             with a combination of white, green-white and yellow-green,             nearest to RHS 155C, 157A, and 147D; veined yellow-green,             nearest to RHS 145B. As foliage matures, it becomes             progressively suffused with yellow-green, RHS 147A. Juvenile             foliage, abaxial surface — White, nearest to RHS 155C, with             the proximal one-third portion of the laminar surface             suffused with red, nearest to RHS 39D; sparsely blotched,             marbled and margined with a combination of white,             green-white and greyed-green, nearest to RHS 155C, N155A,             and 189D. As foliage matures, it becomes progressively             suffused with yellow-green, RHS N148D. Mature foliage,             adaxial surface — Nearest to in between green and             yellow-green, RHS 139A and 147A yet closest to 139A. Mature             foliage, abaxial surface — Yellow-green, nearest to RHS             N148B. Venation — Pattern — Arcuate and cross-venulate.             Venation color, adaxial surface — Yellow-green, nearest to             RHS N144C; occasionally suffused with greyed-red towards the             base, nearest to a mixture of RHS 179A, 179B, and 179C.             Venation color, abaxial surface — Yellow-green, nearest to             RHS 150D; becoming darker towards the base, nearest to RHS             151C.         -   Petiole.—Length —1.15 cm. Width — 0.25 cm. Texture — Smooth             and glabrous. Luster — Matte. Strength — Strong. Color,             adaxial surface — Yellow-green, nearest to RHS 154C;             occasionally suffused with greyed-red, nearest to a mixture             of RHS 179B and 179C; base of the petiole is brown, nearest             to RHS 200A yet darker. Color, abaxial surface —             Yellow-green, nearest to a combination of RHS 146D, 151B,             and 151C. -   Inflorescence: Not yet observed. -   Bud: Not yet observed. -   Flower: Not yet observed. -   Reproductive organs: Not yet observed. -   Seed and fruit: Not yet observed.

COMPARISONS WITH THE PARENT PLANTS

Plants of the new cultivar ‘CORHEESFT’ differ from the seed parent, an unnamed and unpatented Cornus kousa plant, by the characteristics described in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Characteristic ‘CORHEESFT’ The seed parent. Plant size. Smaller than the seed Larger than parent. ‘CORHEESFT’. Foliage size. Larger than the seed parent. Smaller than ‘CORHEESFT’. General Pale yellow-white; heavily Yellow-green, coloration of suffused with a mixture of and suffused the juvenile orange-red and red near the with a mixture foliage. base, and lightly suffused of orange- with yellow-green elsewhere; red and red marbled, blotched, and near the base. margined with a mixture of white, green-white, and yellow-green. General White, suffused with red Yellow-green coloration near the base and marbled, and suffused of the blotched, and margined with with a mixture juvenile foliage; a mixture of white, green- of orange- abaxial surface. white and greyed-green. red and red near the base.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘CORHEESFT’ differ from the pollen parent, an unnamed and unpatented Cornus kousa plant, by the characteristics described in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Characteristic ‘CORHEESFT’ The pollen parent. Growth habit. Broad-upright to spreading- Upright. upright. Foliage size. Larger than the pollen Smaller than parent. ‘CORHEESFT’. General coloration Pale yellow-white; heavily Yellow-green of the suffused with a mixture of and suffused juvenile foliage. orange-red and red near the with a mixture base, and lightly suffused of orange- with yellow-green elsewhere; red and red marbled, blotched, and near the base. margined with a mixture of white, green-white, and yellow-green. General coloration White, suffused with red Yellow-green of the near the base and marbled, and suffused juvenile foliage; blotched, and margined with with a mixture abaxial surface. a mixture of white, green- of orange- white and greyed-green. red and red near the base.

COMPARISON WITH THE MOST SIMILAR CORNUS CULTIVAR KNOWN TO THE INVENTOR

Plants of the new cultivar ‘CORHEESFT’ differ from the commercial variety, Cornus ‘Pink Lips’ (not patented), in the following characteristics described in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 Characteristic ‘CORHEESFT’ ‘Pink Lips’ Bloom period. Spring. Summer. Foliage size. Larger than ‘Pink Lips’. Smaller than ‘CORHEESFT’. General coloration Pale yellow-white; heavily Mottled with of the suffused with a mixture of pale yellow- juvenile foliage; orange-red and red near the white and adaxial surface. base, and lightly suffused yellow-green, with yellow-green elsewhere; and heavily marbled, blotched, and suffused with margined with a mixture of red-purple. white, green-white, and yellow-green. 

That which is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct Cornus kousa plant named ‘CORHEESFT’, substantially as described and illustrated herein. 